Means for securing printing plates to their cylinders



Feb. Z, i954 IEBELL 2,667,835

T. R. z MEANS FOR sEcuRING PRINTING PLATES To THEIR cYLINDERs IN V EN TOR.

Feb 2, 1954 T. R. ZIEBELL, 29667935 MEANS FOR SECURNG PRINTING PLATES T0 THEIR CYLINDERS Filed May 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 22 27 Z9 (/9 il? 29 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 2, 1954 MEANS FOR SECURING PRINTING PLATES T THEIR; CYLINDER-S Theodore R. Ziebell, Milwaukee,r Wis., assigner to C. B. Cottrell & SonsCompany, Westerly, It. 1.,. a corporation of. Delaware Application May 7, 1952, Serial No. 286,560

(Cl. i-378) 32' claims. l

My invention is directed to novel means for securing printing plates to their cylinders, thef object being to provide a plate hook with a novelv jaw assembly which will exert a combined tension and compression on the printing platel to prevent endwise displacement of the plateunder the severe strains thereon due to the high speed now required in rotary printing.

My invention comprises a plate hook of any well known or approved construction, provided with a novel jaw assembly which comprises an inner plate edge-contacting jaw member pivoted in the body of the plate hook so as to be swung laterally with respect thereto, andan assembly outer plate tensioning jaw member slid-l ably interlocked with the inner jaw member and also sliclably engaged with its adjacentY edge of the printing plate.

A further object of my invention is to provide a plate hook of thev above character in which the removable outer jaw member is slidably in.- terlocked with the inner jaw member .by a coeacting undercut tongue and groove connection and with the adjacent edge of the printing plate by a coacting flange and groove connection.

Another object of my invention is to provide a plate hook having a jaw assembly particularlydesigned for engaging the straight, leading and trailing edges of a curved printing plate with a combined tension andy compression eect.

A further object is to provide meansior yield-l ingly holding the outer jaw member properly positioned on its inner jaw member.

A still further object is toprovide a reversible; outer jaw member so that it may be used toslidzf ably engage the adjacent leading or trailing edge of another printing plate.

A still further object is to provide an outer jaw member of suincient length to permit it. to beslidably interlocked with a plurality of alined.

inner jaw members.

A practical embodiment of my invention is. rep-- resented in the accompanying drawings in which.:

Fig. l represents a detail plan View of aportion.

of a spirally grooved plate cylinder withacurved printing plate secured thereon;

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detail sectionIV taken in the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig.. 1f;

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail section taken in the plane of the line 3-3 oi'Fig..1.;.

Fig. e represents a detail section. taken inthe plane of the line 4 1@ of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5' represents aV top plarry ViewA of the platei Fig. 7 represents a side/view ofthe same;

Fig. 8 represents a top plan View of the outer jaw member;

Fig. 9- represents: a section taken in the plane of the line S-Sof Fig. 8;

Fig. 10. represents a bottom plan View of the outerjaw member.;

Fig. 1.1vv represents amodiled form of outer jaw member; and

Fig. 12 represents` a side view of a suitable key for turning one of the double-Winged locks and also for operating. themovable member of the platehoek.

The plate cylinder iis shown as provided with spaced hook-receiving grooves 2 and their lockengaging opposite side grooves 3. The usual racks 4 are shown alongy the bottoms of the spiral grooves 2v..

The curved printing plate 5- is shown as having its curved opposite'side edges 6 as beveled for clamping engagement by the jaws l' of plate hooks 8.0i any well known or approved construction.

The straight leading and trailing edges 9 of the printing` plate 5 have grooves I0 milled or otherwise formed` in their. outer horizontal faces'leaving. upper and lower vertical edge surfaces 9a. and 9b.

My improved jaw assembly for holding the leading and-trailing. edges of` the printing plates under` a combined. tension and compression securely. to.V its cylinder may be incorporated in plate hooksof. various well known or approved types. I have. choseny to' show and describe the jaw assembly as incorporated in a plate hook of the type shown, described and claimed in my Co-pending. applicationled. November. 2, 1951, Serial. No. 254,563. This-plate hook includes a stationary member I-I. provided with' a short toothed raclrA l2 adapted tov be engaged with the cylinder groove rack d when the plate hook is properly positioned Within itsV selected cylinder groove 2. The jawA bearing movable member I3A ofthe plate hooky is shown as manually slidable onY the inner hookv member into and out of its plate securing; positionby. providing a key-operated screw l4- which is threaded through the stationary member t lfV and: rotatably mountedin the outer member |31. rEhi's plate hook is shown as providedi with two doubleewinged; springpressedlocks l5; and It pivotedr to swing laterally;v thev locky |15 being. swung bythe. shanky Ila of a suitable key. l'l into and; out or?. sliding engage-l ment with the. side-grooves 3e or the: spirali cyliinder groove 2.

My improved jaw assembly is shown as a combined plate tension and compression jaw including inner and outer elongated members I8 and I9. The inner jaw member I8 is pivoted in the plate hook, in the present instance, by being formed integral with the double-winged lock I6. This inner jaw member serves as a means for swinging the double-winged lock I6 into and out of its sliding engagement with the said side grooves 3.

The outer member I9 of thegplate engaging jaw is provided with a depending flange 2l) along one of its edges, which flange slidably ts within its groove Il) which extends along the straight leading or trailing edge 9 of the printing plate.

This outer jaw member I9 is removable and it is slidably interlocked with the inner or come pression jaw member I8 as, for instance, by an undercut tongue and groove connection. In theV shown as tapered from its ilanged edge to its l other edge to prevent interference with the printing operation.

The key-operated means for turning the screw I@ of the .divided plate hook to advance and retract the outer member I3 of the plate hook includes a bevel gear 23 at the head of the screw, which bevel gear meshes with a bevel gear 24 rotatably mounted in the double-winged lock I5.

The bevel gear 24 is shown as provided with an angular bore 25 for receiving the shank I lb y of the key I'I, which shank may be readily inserted through the co-axial larger bore 26 through the inner jaw member I8, and the coaxial larger bore 2l through the outer jaw member after the jaw member has been slid into its proper position on the inner jaw member.

The means which I have shown for yieldingly holding the outer jaw member I9 in its proper position on the inner jaw member I8 comprises a shallow hole 28 in the outer face of the inner jaw member and a coacting spring-pressed ball 29 seated in the tongue 22 of the said outer member I9.

This outer member I9 may be reversed if so desired and then slid onto the inner member to allow the ange 29 of the outer member to slidably engage the groove S'in the adjacent edgeV of another printing plate. To yieldingly hold the outer jaw member in its proper reversed position on the inner jaw member, the outer face of the inner jaw member is provided with a second shallow hole 3i) in the outer face of the inner jaw member on the opposite side of the key-re ceiving hole 26 from the shallow hole 28. Y

In Fig. l1 I have shown the outer jaw member I9 as elongated sufficiently to coact with aplurality of inner jaw members I8. In the present instance I have shown three undercut tongues spaced apart suiciently to permit the interlocking of the outer jaw member with the inner jaw members by a short sliding movement of the outer jaw member. A l

In operation, the plate hooks 8 are positioned on the cylinder with their undercut jaws 'I along the curved beveled edges E of the printing plate 5, and the plate hooks with the Xed and movable members I I and I3 with their outer jaw members I9 removed are positioned along the leading and trailing straight edges e of the printing plate 5. The jaws 'l of the hooks 8 are then moved suiiciently to cause the jaws 'I to clamp the curved beveled side edges of the plate firmly to the cylinder. The movable members of the hooks I2, I3, I4 areadjusted to bring the inner jaws I8 into contact with the lower faces 9b of the leading and trailing edges of the plate. The undercut tongues of the outer jaw members I9 are then slid'into the undercut grooves 2l of the inner jaw members I8, and the depending anges 2D are slid at the same time into their plate edge 'grooves Iii, to slidably lock the outer jaw members I@ to their inner jaw members I8 and to also slidably lock the outer jaw members I9 to the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

The outer jaw members I9 are yieldingly held in position on the inner jaw members I8 to aline the bores 26 and 2 through the inner and outer jaw members with the angular bore 25 in the bevel gear 2li, to permit the insertion of the shank `I'lb of the key II to cause the outer jaw members I9 to exert the proper tension on the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

In actual printing operations, the printing plate is subjected to a certain amount of travel or thrust pressure and this will be taken care of by the contact of the inner and outer jaw members I8 and I9 with the upper and lower vertical edge portions da and 9b of the printing plate. This causes a combined tension and compression eiect on the printing plate to hold it rigidly and securely to the cylinder during printing operations.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangementsfcf the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and hence it is not intended to be limited to Vthe particular embodiment shown and described herein.

What I claim is:

l. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing it to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable plate engaging outer-jaw members slidably interlocked with-the inner jaw members and locked to the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

2. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing it to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

3. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing it to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted locks, plate engaging inner jaw members formed integral. therewith, and removable plate engaging outer jaw members slidably interlooked with the inner jaw members and locked'to the leading and trailing edges vof the printing plate.

4. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printn aeevgssm ing plate and means for securing it-to the cyl-y inder, including combined plate tension andcompression plate hooks comprising pivoted locks, plate engaging inner jaw members formed integral therewith, and removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

5. A spirally grooved cylinder, acurved printing plate having grooved straight edges, provided with upper and lower jaw contact faces, and means for securing the plate tothe cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable plate engaging iianged outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to said grooved straight edges, saidouter and inner jaw members having faces arrangedto be brought into contact with the said upperl and lower jaw contact faces and means for holding the outer jaw member in position on the inner jaw member during the plate securing operation.

6. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate having grooved straight edges, provided with upper and lower jaw contact faces, and means for securing the plate to the cylinder, in-

cluding combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable and reversible plate engaging flanged outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to said grooved straight edges, said outer and inner jaw members having faces arranged to be brought into contact with the said upper and lower jaw Contact faces and means for holding the outer jaw member in position on the inner jaw member during the plate securing operation.

'i'. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable plate engaging outer jaw members-slidablyy interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw members in position on their inner jaw members.

8. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leadingand trailing edges of the printing plate to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to the said leading and trailing edges oi the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw members in position on` their inner jaw members.

9. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading and trailing edges o the printing plate to the cylinder, comprising combined plate tension and compression plate hooks, pivoted locks, plate engaging inner jaw members formed integral therewith, and removable plate engaging outer jaw members slidably interlocked with the inner jaw members and locked to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate, and meansfor y-ieldingly holding the outer jaw members-- in position on theirV inner jaw members.

10; A spirally. grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading and trailing edges of the printing plate tothe cyl-- Y members in position on their inner jaw members.

11. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing,A plate and means for securing the leadingl and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, including combined plate tensiony and compression plate hooks comprising, pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members, removable plate engaging outer'jaw members, and undercut tongue and groove connections between the outer andv inner jaw members coactingk to slidably interlock the outer jaw members with the inner jaw members, and flange and groove connections between` the outer jaw members and the printing plate coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to thesaid leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

12; A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading.

and trailing' edges of the plate to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising, pivoted plate en.- gaging inner jaw members, removable andreversiblev plate engaging outer ja-w members, andV undercut tongue andgroove connections between the outer and inner jaw members coacting to slidably interlock the outer jaw members with the inner jaw members, and iiange and groove.

connections between the outer jaw members and the printing plate coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

13. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks, locks pivoted in the plate hooks, plate engaging inner jaw members formed integral with. said locks, and removable plate engaging outer jaw members, undercut tongue and groove connections between the outer and inner jaw members coacting to slidably interlock the outer jaw members with their inner jaw members, andlange and groove connections between the outer jaw members and the printing plate coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

14. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and means for securing the leading and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, combined plate tension and compression plate hooks, including locks pivoted in the plate hooks, plate engaging inner jaw members formed integral with said locks, and. removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw members, undercut tongue and groove connections between the outer and inner jaw members coating to slidably interlock the outer jaw members with their nectons between the outer jaw members and the printing plate coacting to slidably lockthe outer jaw members to the saidleading and trailing edges of the printing plate.

A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and plate hooks for securing the leading and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, including pivoted inner jaw members, removable outer jaw members and undercut tongue and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the inner jaw members, flange and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw members in position on their inner jaw members.

to the said leading and trailing edges of the.

printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw members in position on their inner jaw members.

1'7. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and plate hooks for securing the leading and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, including locks pivoted inthe plate hooks, inner jaw members formed integral with said locks, and removable outer jaw members, undercut tongue and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to their inner jaw members, flange and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw members in position on their inner jaw members.

18. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate and plate hooks for securing the leading and trailing edges of the plate to the cylinder, including locks pivoted in the plate hooks, inner jaw members formed integral with said locks, and removable and reversible outer jaw members, undercut tongue and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to their inner jaw members, iiange and groove connections coacting to slidably lock the outer jaw members to the said leading and trailing edges of the printing plate, and means for yieldingly hol-ding the outer jaw members in position on their inner jaw members.

19. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate, and means for securing it to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising, alined plate engaging inner jaw members and a removable plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked With a plurality of the inner jaw members and locked to the adjacent edge of the printing plate.

20. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate, and means for securing it to the cylinder, including combined plate tension and compression plate hooks comprising, alined plate engaging inner jaw members and a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with a plurality of the inner jaw members and locked to the adjacent edge edges, and means for securing the "plate toits cylinder including plate hooks comprising, pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable plate engaging outer jaw members, the inner jaw members having short undercut grooves extending from end to end thereof, and the outer jaw members having short undercut grooves fitting within said undercut grooves for slidably interlocking the cuter jaw members with the inner jaw members, and flanges on the outer jaw members tting the plate edge grooves for slidably locking the outersmembers to the plate.

22. A spirally grooved cylinder, a curved printing plate having grooved leading and trailing edges, and means for securing the plate to its cylinder including plate hooks comprising, pivoted plate engaging inner jaw members and removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw members, the inner jaw members having short undercut grooves extending from end to end thereof, and the outer jaw members having short undercut grooves fitting Within said undercut grooves for slidably interlocking the outer jaw members with the inner jaw members, and flanges on the outer jaw members fitting the plate edge grooves for slidably locking the outer members to the plate.

23. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, and a removable plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably'engage the printing plate.

24. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, and a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked With the inner jaw member yand adapted to slidably engage the printing plate.

25. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, a removable plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw member in position on the-inner jaw member.

26. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate,

tand means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw member in position on the inner jaw member.

27. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted lock, a plate engaging inner jaw member formed integral therewith, and a removable plate engaging outer jaw member slidably intel-locked with the inner jav/ member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate.

28. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted lock, a plate engaging inner jaw. member formed integral therewith, and a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate.

29. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted lock, a plate engaging inner jaw member formed integral therewith, and a removable plate engaging outer jaw member slidablyinterlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw member in position on the inner jaw member.

30. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted lock, a plate engaging inner jaw member formed integral therewith, and a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member slidably interlocked with the inner jaw member and adapted to slidably engage the printing plate, and means for yieldingly holding the outer jaw member in position on the inner jaw member.

31. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, a removable plate engaging outer jaw member, and an undercut tongue and groove connection coacting to slidi ably interlock the upper jaw member with the lower jaw member, said upper jaw member hav- 20 32. A combined plate tension and compression printing plate hook comprising, a pivoted plate engaging inner jaw member, a removable and reversible plate engaging outer jaw member, and an undercut tongue and groove connection coacting to slidably interlock the upper jaw member with the lower jaw member, said upper jaw member having a depending flange adapted to enter a groove in the edge of the printing plate for slidably locking the upper jaw member thereto.

THEODORE R. ZIEBELL.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,624 Keller July 28, 1896 2,406,883 Luehrs Sept. 3, '1946 2,549,226 Myers Apr. 17, 1951 

